First Impressions: Revamping the Syllabus

Probably because it’s boring.  Earlier this summer I read an amazing blog post from Tona Hangen on giving your syllabus/course expectations a makeover.  It inspired me to make my syllabus awesome this year.  But first, let’s look at the past.  This is my AP Literature and Composition Syllabus from last year:

SNOOZE FEST!  I barely want to read it (although it is pure teaching gold).  So, I set about to change the look of my syllabus.  In a world so filled with stimulating visual media, I figured it was high time that the introduction to my class looked a little snazzier.  Tona used a mac (that lucky devil), but I was stuck with using Microsoft Office 2007.  So I simply downloaded a newsletter template from the MS Publisher online resources (they already had one with books) and went to work.  Sure doing this took me a while, but I am so please to pass these out to my students.  What it turned into was basically a handbook to my class instead of simply a set of rules and expectations.  Although the page size went up, I feel like there is more room to breathe with the new one.  This really was a fulfilling project and I hope that if you have the time that you will think of restructuring your syllabus to make it more appealing to the eye!

Reasons I love this:

1. Allows me to personalize and add some spice to my syllabus.
2. Allows me to set the tone for the year right off the bat (the tone of awesome).
3. Keeps students interested because it is less dense and has visual stimulation.
4. Sets my syllabus apart from all the boring ones.
5. Has a table of contents, so students can easily find information at a later date.
6. It is easier to keep track of than a normal syllabus because it is unique.
7. It’s just so darn pretty.

With that said, Here is my new AP Syllabus 2013:  

Page 1: Contact Info, Course Description, Course Goals, Table of Contents

 

 

Page 2: Rules, Expectations, Materials, and Schoology.com

Page 3: Homework and Late Work Policy

Page 4: The Writing Portfolio

Page 5: Grading and Independent Reading

Page 6: Wicked Word Wall, Major Works Data Sheets, Extra Credit and Vocabulary

Page 7: Discussion, Discipline, Plagiarism and Cheating

Page 8: The AP Test

Page 9: Course of Events by Theme

Page 10: Teacher Profile, Note to Class, Awesome John Green Quote

I always expect so much out of our students, and I love how I can show them right off the bat that I am willing to work hard for them as well.  If you are a teacher and would like an editable copy of this, just comment below with your email or email me at The WordyTeacher@gmail.com.

 

 

Writing Portfolios-Authentic Writing Evaluation

I was lucky enough this summer to attend an AP Summer Institute where honestly I received most of my ideas for next year.  Our moderator, Dr. Becky Daniels, was amazing! The best idea I stole from her is using writing portfolios.  Now, this is not a new idea; however, I really enjoy the all inclusiveness of this portfolio.  It is not just a compilation of the student’s “best” work; it is a compilation of ALL student writing including homework, classwork, and the larger papers for the entire year.

Benefits 

• Keeps students organized throughout the year because there is a letter and # system for all materials included in the portfolio.
• No more trashcan-filing.  Students will have a specific place for all writing, so you won’t see your thoughtfully graded papers in the trashcan after you spent hours writing comments on them.
• Fosters responsibility in students by making them accountable for organization and the quality of the portfolio as well as setting up “Hot Seat” appointments.
• Fosters reflection because at the end of each quarter the students write a “Letter to the Teacher.”
• Works on the process of writing, not just giving out letter grades.
• Places the teacher as a writing coach in the classroom, instead of a knit-picking essay Nazi.
• Cuts down on grading time by helping teachers avoid monotonous, routine grading.
• Gives students one-on-one writing instruction through the use of Hot-Seat conferencing and stamped assignments.
• Students will start only bringing their BEST writing to you because they will want to set up fewer conferences.
• Students will grow as writers in an organic and less stressful environment.

How the Writing Portfolio Works

The writing portfolio has multiple components.  Depending on the class it is worth 30-50% of a student’s overall quarter grade.  Basically, students will set up a large binder to put all homework, classwork, in-class writings, and formal papers in.  There are also special assignments that students must complete independently throughout the quarter (anywhere between 1-6 assignments).  These independent assignments are known as “stamped” assignments (see below).   They must get a literal stamp of  approval from the teacher on these assignments.  To receive the stamp, students must have one-on-one “Hot Seat” conferences with the teacher in and out of class (see below).  In the last week of the quarter, the student writes a letter to the teacher (see below).

At the end of the quarter, all “stamped” assignments must be completed and all writing must be labeled and organized within the binder/portfolio. The teacher collects the portfolio, checks to make sure everything is there and reads the letter to the teacher. The teacher has seen the majority of this material already because it has been worked on in class or through hot-seat assignments, so the grading of these is relatively simple.  Then the teacher hands it back to the students to use the next quarter.

Stamped Assignments: They are assigned at the beginning of the quarter and the students are given instruction, clear rubrics, and examples.  The students are then expected to work on these throughout the quarter and must meet with the teacher to get them approved to be put into the writing portfolio.  The students must then meet with the teacher in and outside of class and have one-on-one writing conferences over these independent assignments.

 

The Hot Seat:  I have a special conference chair (it’s red) called The Hot Seat.  So these are known as Hot Seat Conferences.  The paper will receive a special stamp of approval when the teacher feels the piece of writing meets the requirements of the assignment. The goal of these independent assignments is to work on various writing skills (narrative, argumentative, informational, creative) at the pace of the students and show writing as a process.

 

Letter to the Teacher: At the end of the quarter, the students must have all stamped assignments completed, and in the last week of the quarter they write a letter to the teacher.  This assignment asks students to look over their portfolio and reflect what they have learned about writing in the past quarter.  They must use evidence from their own portfolio to back up their information.

 

Letter and Number System:  In the top right hand corner the students write a letter (the unit of study) and a number (the assignment in that unit). For example: If you begin the year teaching The Great Gatsby  all Gatsby assignments would have the letter A on them.  So the third assignment in that unit would have A3 in the top right hand corner. See how to set up the portfolio:  Writing Portfolio-AP Table of Contents

Grading: The writing portfolio is worth 50% (AP) or 30% (regular) of the student’s total grade per quarter.  This portfolio actually helps students grades.  If they complete all the Stamped Assignments and do well on in-class essays (AP), then they should receive a good grade if nothing is missing. It is also easy to grade because most of what you are checking off are things you have already assigned. The rubric basically looks like a check off system, with some of the more major assignments being weighted.  Here is an example: AP Portfolio Rubric Sample

AP Timed Writings: This is only if you teach AP or are doing test prep in class. Timed writings done in preparation for the AP Exams are included in the writing portfolio, but are scored by the teacher outside of the student’s presence.  The minimum level of mastery required on these timed writings increases each quarter, beginning with a score of 5 in the first marking period and increasing to a 6 in subsequent nine-week periods.  Failure to meet or exceed the minimum score results in a lower grade on the portfolio.  Students are offered opportunities to write at least one replacement essay if their initial scores fail to meet the required average score for that grading period.  Bonus points are awarded for exceeding each minimum requirement.

 Resources

Check out my explanation that my students receive (AP) on my syllabus.  It goes more in-depth into some of the areas above.  The Writing Portfolio from Syllabus

Check out my Writing Portfolio-AP Table of Contents which I will hand out to my students at the beginning of the quarter.  It gives the  structure of how to set up the portfolio and discusses some of the finer points of “The Hot Seat.”

Check out what the rubric would look like.  This would be given out near the end of the quarter. AP Portfolio Rubric Sample

Finally, a HUGE shout-out to Dr. Becky Daniels for teaching this amazing portfolio system to me this summer 🙂

Ashton Kutcher Acceptance Speech – Teen Choice Awards 2013

Such an amazing example for speech class. Great organization, wonderful message, and it gives such an opportunity to talk about purpose and audience. Well said, Chris!

John Green-The Test

This is the BEST video I have ever seen. This is definitely a first-day must do 🙂

The Problem: Teacher Websites; The Solution: Schoology

One of my summer must-dos is to revamp and set up my teacher website.  I have used Weebly.com in the past and it has worked well.  My students always enjoyed it and it met my three requirements below.  However, this year, because I am trying to go more techy, there are limitations to what I can do on Weebly without paying for it and it can get frustrating.  I always have a few requirements for my websites:

1. It must be free (teacher salary).
2. It can’t be blocked at my school.
3. It must look modern.

So lets look at how this is weeds out most of my options.

1. Any paid sites with cool modern set-ups and endless possibilities are out.  

2. All blogs like wordpress, blogger, and tumblr or sites like facebook or twitter are out because they are blocked.  They also make me nervous because a lot of my students already have accounts and most are not appropriate for school.

3. Now here’s where things get particular.  I am a super snob when it comes to the appearance of my website.  My philosophy is that the better it looks, the more students will be excited to use it and take it seriously.  Now, i know, appearances aren’t everything, but I also know that in my personal life I judge businesses on their websites.  If you have an outdated website for your salon that doesn’t look slick, I’m not going to your salon.  Period.  If your salon doesn’t have a website, there wasn’t even a chance I was coming to you.  The way I see it, is that if you’re not investing time into becoming accessible in the digital age and you’re not constantly trying to improve your reach to your customers, then I don’t want to go to you.

I think the same is true in my classroom.  If I am not trying to constantly improve the engagement of my client base (students), then I’m out of touch.  So, with that in mind, sites like wikispaces and moodle are out (don’t get me wrong you can do amazing things with these sites, I just can’t get over how 2005 they look).  Also, googlesites, although it would be perfect because we have the Google Apps for Education at my school, is just too ugly for me to bear.

So, after much obvious deliberation, I have decided to go with a free LMS (learning management system) called Schoology.com.  Why I love it:

1. You basically have an online classroom that is perfect for blended learning.
2. It looks and functions like facebook.
3. The platform is relatively easy-to-understand if you have a basic understanding of social media.
4. Kids sign up for your classes and consistently receive updates.
5. It connects with so much (googledrive, googlecalendar, powerschool, remind101)
6. You can easily share documents, videos, links and you can post them to one or all of you classes/sections.
7. You can write posts, assignments, discussion boards, tests, and quizzes, and it all posts to a shared calendar automatically.  
8. All upcoming assignments pop up in your feed as well as the students’.
9. It is safe and private.  Students create accounts and then parents get a code to log into their child’s platform.
10. If multiple teachers in the school use it, the kids can manage all their classes in one platform.

In short, it’s fantastic. I highly recommend using this free LMS in your classroom.  I have a feeling it will just get more and more amazing.

Changes

Nicholas Provenzano wrote a great blog on edutopia about teacher nerves before the first day of school.  I am now about a week out from the my first teacher in-service and I’m losing my mind.  Nicholas’ advice is to be prepared (check), accept not having control over everything (never!), communicate (check), and have fun.  The have fun at this point is the hardest because my teacher guilt is already setting in.  

I’ve been planning like a crazy-person.  All summer I have been researching and working to find the best modifications to all my classes.  With only a week before school, I now realize that I actually have to put it into practice.  Here are all the changes I am making this year:

• I am using a writing portfolio system 
• I am weighting my grades
• I am using an LMS (schoology.com)
• I am teaching a new class (Speech & Drama)
• I am using Evernote for my lesson planning
• I am using a tablet/laptop hybrid in the classroom
• I am making videos for flipped classrooms
• I restructured my other 3 classes (AP Lit&Comp, 12th Brit. Lit. and 10th English) so they are all thematic.
• Students will now have BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) days in class

What the heck is wrong with me?  

After saying that, I’m hoping all these changes will help my students.  I’ve been researching so much on 21st century learning that it makes my head spin, but I am confident that these (crazy) changes are really what will enable my students to learn from the past so they can write their own future.  

I’ll try to keep it brief

Man, I wish it was this easy.

This is my first attempt at blogging for education, and I’m hoping it turns out better than the last few blogs I have tried to start.  I am a teacher at a small, Ohio private school.  I teach 10th grade English, 12th grade British Literature, AP Literature and Composition, and Speech and Drama.  I am going into my 5th year of teaching–the year I am to supposedly have it all together.  Let’s see if I do.